Antonio Nets Hammers’ 1000th Premier League Goal But Who Scored The First?

West Ham United and England winger Michail Antonio managed to net the Hammers’ 1000th Premier League goal in Saturday’s 4-1 away defeat to Swansea City at the Liberty Stadium.

With David Moyes’ men 4-0 down in the 78th minute, Senegal midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate helped to bring down a long Aaron Cresswell free-kick and it fell to Antonio.

The pacey forward swivelled and unleashed a powerful and accurate low strike that left Lukasz Fabianski with next to no chance of saving, a faint consolation to the travelling Claret & Blue Army, making the Irons only the tenth team to reach 1000 in the PL era.

The former Nottingham Forest man also notched the 99th in yet another 4-1 thrashing last weekend, that time Liverpool were the opposition at Anfield, scoring in very similar circumstances.

It may not surprise you that, all the way back in 1993, the East Londoners’ first ever goal in the Premier League also came in an away match where they were left frustrated.

Former England U21 International winger Dale Gordon was the man to get it, a scrappy opener on the very cusp of half-time in a 1-1 draw to Coventry City at the Highfield Road at the start of the 1993/1994 term.

Remarkably, the historic goal would be his only in Claret & Blue, as the man who now owns his own football academy in the UAE, scarcely made 10 appearances in East London despite being with the club for three years.

During his time at Upton Park, Gordon was loaned out to Peterborough United and fierce rivals Millwall, eventually leaving West Ham for AFC Bournemouth in 1996.

Gordon earned most of his career reputation before his move to the capital, becoming a Norwich City Hall of Famer despite supporting rivals Ipswich Town, by over making 200 appearances between 1984 and 1991, departing for Rangers and then to Billy Bonds’ Hammers.

Gordon, now 51, recently spoke to West Ham United’s Official Website about the landmark goal and the start to the season in which he scored it, stating the following,

“I remember we had a really bad start against Wimbledon at home and that getting a result at Coventry was going to be difficult, we started well and got the lead and showed good character”, proclaimed Gordon.

“As for my goal, it wasn’t the 25-yard screamer I wanted to score! It was a tap-in from two yards, but they all count and goes down in history so I guess I can live with that.

“So, a 1-1 draw was a good response after the defeats against Wimbledon and Leeds.”

Other players to score landmark Premier League goals for the club inside the likes of current first-team stars Andy Carroll and Manuel Lanzini, who netted the 800th and 900th respectively.

Italian striker and fan favourite David Di Michele popped up with the 600th, with Everton defender, Moyes’ Everton it can be noted, Tony Hibbert’s own-goal provided the 800th.

Cult hero Marlon Harewood grabbed the landmark 500th, with fellow favourite Trevor Sinclair lending his name to the 400th, East London born Alan Kimble’s own-goal was the 200th.

Whereas club legend Paolo Di Canio proudly netted the team’s 300th goal since the formation of the Premier League, the task of scoring the first fell to target man turned Sky Sports pundit Iain Dowie.